(Newser)
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A 2,200-year-old gold coin has been found in Israel. The artifact, which is being hailed as one of the rarest to be found in the country's history, is a nearly a full ounce—about five times heavier than the typical coin of the era. It comes from Alexandria, having been minted by Ptolemy V, and features Queen Arsinoe II Philadelphus, CNN reports.

"This is an amazing numismatic find," the head of Israel's Antiquities Authority said. "The coin is beautiful and in excellent preservation. It is the heaviest gold coin with the highest contemporary value of any coin ever found in an excavation in Israel."

A 2200 year old coin is seen at the Israel Museum, in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)